Track doubling: trains cancelled, rerouted

All passenger trains except one on the Ernakulam-Kottayam route were cancelled and 22 pairs of express trains diverted through Alappuzha on Friday because of the final phase of track doubling works on the 18-km Ernakulam-Mulanthuruthy route.

This follows Thursday night's chaotic situation in the Ernakulam Junction railway station and at Ponnurunni here when trains had to be detained for long hours following uncertainty over the doubling works getting over.

Passengers stranded

Passengers of the Venad Express were stranded up to midnight at Ponnurunni without food and water, forcing them to protest.

Highly-placed sources in the operations wing of the Railways attributed the delays to the multiple agencies involved in doubling works — the signal, electrical, engineering (civil) and operations wings. The work was expected to be over in seven hours during the day time.

“The delay on the part of any wing would have a chain effect. The situation was more or less the same on Friday. Trains along Alappuzha too are running late because the tracks are even otherwise plying to 120 per cent capacity.”

The Vanchinad Express that ought to begin from Ernakulam at 5 a.m. began its journey by around 11 a.m. on Friday.

Officials in the Civil wing were confident that passenger and goods trains would be able to use the doubled lane on the Kottayam route from Monday, as was scheduled.

The Railways did not coordinate well with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Thursday to run additional bus services through Kottayam, resulting in passengers having a harrowing time, sources said.

On Friday, KSRTC ran a few additional services and even many of its regular services through Kottayam were routed through the Ernakulam Junction railway station. The station officials made announcements so that passengers could use the bus services.

The president of the All Kerala Railway Users' Association Paul K.J. Manvettom said that passengers being stranded for over five hours because of the delay in doing doubling works, was ‘breach of trust' by the Railways.